Fisherman awarded rescue job for his bravery

Bukoba. Tanzania government has offered a job in the fire and rescue brigade to a fisherman Jackson Majaliwa who was one of the first responders at the site of  plane crash which killed 19 people on Sunday.

A part from a job Majaliwa was awarded Sh1 milion for his efforts that led to the rescue of 24 people from the deadly plane crash.

19 people were killed in the crash when Precision Air flight PW 494 plunged into Lake Victoria in Bukoba, Kagera on Sunday  morning.

Speaking on Monday November 7, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said President Samia Suluhu Hassan was happy to hear the efforts made my fisherman to save lives and ordered that he be recruited in fire and rescue brigade.

Majaliwa was addressing hundreds of people who gathered at Kaitaba Stadium in Bukoba, with Muslim and Christian clerics leading prayers for the dead.

He said the fisherman will be trained so that he can participate in various rescue operations.

“I here by call upon the minister of home affairs to follow all the required procedures for the fisherman to be recruited,” Majaliwa said.

Speaking before the Premier , Kagera regional commissioner Albert Chalamila called the young man who was present at the the podium and awarded him with Sh1 million.

"I congratulate this young fisherman who bravely used a paddle to open the door of the plane and managed to save the 24 passengers inside the plane," said Chalamila.

In addition to that, Chalamila said the fisherman was also injured during the rescue operation but his condition has improved.

Speaking to the BBC, Majaliwa  described how he tried to save the pilots stuck in the cockpit and how he nearly lost his life trying to rescue them.

Speaking from his hospital bed in Bukoba before the government announcement, Jackson said he panicked as he saw the  plane approach from the wrong direction, before plunging into the lake.

He rushed to the scene with three fellow fishermen and helped to open the rear door by smashing it with a rowing oar which helped passengers seated in the rear of the plane to be rescued.

Jackson said he then moved to the front and dived into the water. He then communicated with each other by making signs through the cockpit window.

"He directed me to break the window screen. I emerged from the water and asked airport security, who had arrived, if they have any tools that we can use to smash the screen.

"They gave me an axe, but I was stopped by a man with a public announcement speaker from going down to smash the screen. He said they were already in communication with the pilots and there was no water leakage in the cockpit," Mr Jackson said.
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He added that after being stopped he "dived back and waved goodbye to iithe pilot".

But the pilot then indicated that he still wanted to be rescued.

"He pointed out the cockpit emergency door to me. I swam back up and took a rope and tied it to the door and we tried to pull it with other boats, but the rope broke and hit me in the face and knocked me unconscious. The next thing I know I was here at the hospital," Mr Jackson said.

Both pilots are among the 19 confirmed fatalities after the plane - operated by Precision Air.

Additional report by BBC